posted
Oooh, or giant trucks turning left across from you while you are also waiting to turn left (at the median), but they pull WAY out to the right and turn their wheels in, and you can't see who's coming.
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
I've pissed off my fair share of people by being a stickler on asking for ID with a credit card. I don't care if you're buying a $2.00 box of miracle grow - if you're using a credit card, I have to ask for your ID. Are you really inconvenieced at having to pull another blasted card out of your wallet?
Once, I asked for an ID on a lady who was writing a check.
"What, you don't trust me?"
"No, I just don't trust the kind of people who would steal your checks."
"Look at my check. See that little icon next to my name and address?"
Indeed I did. It was one of those Christian fish symbols.
"Do you know what that means?"
I was about to be snobby and talk about the prominence of the icthius symbol as a monogram for Christ in the first few centuries of Roman Christianity, but instead I just smiled and nodded.
"It means I'm a follower of Christ," she explained, "and I'm not the kind of person who would write bad checks."
"Either that," I said, "or you're the type of person who would steal a nice Christian lady's checkbook."
I hadn't meant it to be snarky, but it sounded like it. Luckily, my boss was the kind of guy who rated not-putting-up-with-people's-crap slightly above customer-service-at-all-costs and we had a nice laugh about it after she left.
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
I've offended more customers than I can count with that ID thing. Some ladies wouldn't let me see their birthdays.
Seriously, I am very suspicious of anyone who calls themself a Christian, and then claims that it gives them special, like, strengths against doing bad things. Saying, I'm a Christian, so I wouldn't screw up, is a lie one way or the other, and sounds like the Pharisees to me.
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
Blockbuster's policy is to explicitly not ask for ID in most cases -- in fact, we rarely even see the debit/credit card, since we have places for the customer to slide them.
Its all about processing customers through the line quicker.
Then of course there are the fast food places (wendy's and subway right near my blockbuster) which don't even require a signature on most purchases (I think they require one for purchases over $20 or somesuch).
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
I like Target. When you put your credit card in the machine, they take it out away from you and then ask for ID. It's a little startling, but I appreciate it.
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
Yeah, Tammy! No kidding! I once was paying with a credit card and started to pull out my ID, and the cashier (a nice guy who, I guess, thought he was smooth) said, "No, that's okay. I trust you."
I'm like, "Why? You don't even know me!"
(Forgot to say: My cards all say "Check photo ID" on the back.)
posted
Exactly! That's why I write "please check ID" on the back of my card instead of signing my name.
Posts: 3771 | Registered: Sep 2002
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I remember after I got married being absolutely shocked at how few cashiers bother to look at the things you sign. Since I had recently gotten married, my name (and therefore my signature) had changed. None of the cashiers (for the 2 months until I got a new bank card) ever bothered to question me about why my signature on my receipt did not match the signature on my card. Granted, most of them never even looked at the back of the card, but it always surprised me when they'd flip over the card, as if they were looking at the signature and comparing it to the one on the receipt, but apparently it was just a fluke of their neurons firing, making them flip their wrist.... Posts: 5879 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
When we got a credit card merchant account at my company, the agreement specifically forbade us from asking for additional ID, or from using a card that was not signed before the person entered our presence. This was about 10 years ago.
posted
I don't doubt it. But 10 years ago, when SSN was still on Va drivers licenses, giving them ID with a credit card would have given them everything needed to easily get new credit cards in your name.
posted
The credit card people really hate it when people don't sign the cards. I've seen customers go off on clerks who would not accept an unsigned card, even though the bank's policy forbids them to.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
I've never had a problem with my cards. I've even asked "don't you want to see my ID?" when they've glance at my card, which has no signature, and continue to process it.
Posts: 3771 | Registered: Sep 2002
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posted
I know there are a lot of merchants (including the Post Office) here that will not accept unsigned credit cards (with "see ID" written on them). I've stood behind people in line while they've had their cards rejected for that reason.
posted
I once had a credit card that I'd forgotten to sign. Here was the exchange:
Cahsier: Oh, I'm sorry, we don't accept unsigned credit cards
Me: (looking at back of card)Oh hell. Well, how about if I just sign it right now (trying to make a joke out of the situation, already thinking about other ways of paying for whatever it was I was buying).
Cashier: "Okay!"
Me: Really? But...well, okay, I guess. How do you know I'm me though?
Cahsier: "Oh, I trust you!"
She didn't even ask to see a license to see if the signatures matched, or if I looked even vaguely like the guy in the picture.
posted
Their being nice, yet stupid. They don't want to insult you...yet in the long run they could very well end up screwing you.
They should have more rigid training where checking ID is concerned. However I'm sure in most environments it's already a part of the regular employee orientation.
*goes to do some research on her unsigned cards*
Posts: 3771 | Registered: Sep 2002
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posted
The thing is, why would a person take offense at being asked to produce ID? I could see it in a tiny little town, where the customer knows full well that the person behind the counter knows exactly who they are, and is probably even related to them, but otherwise...it just doesn't make all that much sense.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
Hmm. I have never been asked for my id when using a credit card. I have had my signature checked against the receipt, but 90% of the time the salesperson doesn't bother.
As long as this is the way things work, it won't really help to ask the salesperson to check your id. Chain only as strong as its weakest link, and all.
Scary? A little. Just keep close track of your cards and you're *probably* ok.
Posts: 1810 | Registered: Jan 1999
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posted
[QUOTESeriously, I am very suspicious of anyone who calls themself a Christian, and then claims that it gives them special, like, strengths against doing bad things. Saying, I'm a Christian, so I wouldn't screw up, is a lie one way or the other, and sounds like the Pharisees to me.[/QUOTE]
The above, and talking about customers getting offended reminds me of a particularly strange experience I had when I was working as a cashier.
I was talking with a customer while her credit card authorization went through (it took a couple of minutes, and I would always rather talk to the customer than stand their staring at the credit-card machine as if I'm sure it isn't going to go through), and something was said that made me reply, "Well, not in this life anyway."
Credit card authorization went through, the customer left, and the next customer stepped up and immediately started tearing me a new one. "I am a Christian," she said, "and I found what you said very offensive." Huh? I couldn't remember saying anything offensive and I told her so. Nicely.
Well, apparently in her mind saying "not in this life" was tantamount to spreading satanic reincarnationist doctrine. I tried to explain that it was just a figure of speech, not a declaration of faith, but she was having none of it. She threatened to have me fired, and let me know in no uncertain terms that because she was a Christian it was her inalienable right to never have anything she found offensive said in her range of hearing.
What is it with people who think that their particular religious belief makes them privileged above everyone else?
Posts: 2454 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
E-mail I received from my bank regarding credit card signatures...
quote: Dear Tammy XXXXXX,
Thank you for contacting Wachovia.
This message is in response to your recent communication which was received on 08/24/2004 and assigned Case ID XXXXXXXX.
I received your e-mail concerning writing "Please Check Photo ID" on the back of your Check Card in place of a signature. Visa requirements state that a merchant must ask for a photo ID if a credit card or Check Card is not signed by the customer. If the credit card or Check Card is signed by the customer, a photo ID is not required.
Many customers write "Please Check Photo ID" on the back of their credit cards or Check Cards rather than use a signature. There are no banking regulations against this practice.
I value your business as a Wachovia customer and look forward to continuing to serve your financial needs. If you have additional questions or concerns please contact us via e-mail or call 800-WACHOVIA (922-4684). Representatives are available to assist you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
posted
I was puzzled about that too, Tammy. If my card says "see picture ID" and my picture ID has my signature on it, why can't they accept that as my signature? It's only fault is being more secure than having the signature right on the card.
I tried discussing this with the guy at the post office, but he would have none of it.
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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